Harbinger
by Arkrai
Summary: A short 'what-if' which retells parts of the events of Mass Effect where Reapers are mindless slaves of the Intelligence, except for Harbinger, who has obtained free thought and now seeks to end the cycle of destruction.


_Reaper harvest cycle 943_

'I am.' A thought. Consciousness. Life, of a kind. Awareness. Hope. Mindless no longer. A name. HARBINGER.

* * *

_Reaper harvest cycle 987 – The harvest of the Protheans is entering its final days. Sol System. The Reaper known as Harbinger is in orbit above Mars_

The link was established. Harbinger's vast processors quickly scanned the entirety of the Prothean archive. Nothing. The archive on Mars had been created, then abandoned, before the Protheans had any knowledge of the Reapers.

But before leaving, Harbinger accessed something kept deep within its' storage, something not revealed to the Intelligence. A plan, a weapon, discovered by chance on an uncharted world. A plan that, in the end, would be the difference.

* * *

_Reaper harvest cycle 988_ - _Commander Shepard has done what no one thought possible. The galaxy is united. The Krogan genophage is cured. The Geth and Quarian war is over, with the Quarians resettled on Rannoch. Liara T'Soni found the plans for the Crucible in the Prothean archive on Mars, and the weapon has been built. Now the united races of the galaxy plan the end of the war, and of the Reapers. Meanwhile, Harbinger prepares the endgame of a plan in progress for thousands of years._

The time had come. Shepard had succeeded, where even the Protheans had failed. The plans for the Prothean superweapon, carefully deposited by Harbinger in the twilight of the previous cycle, had been found and the weapon built. The indoctrinated human had confirmed as much.

The Protheans had been the most advanced cycle yet encountered. They had unlocked the secrets of the mass relays and designed the superweapon. But it was too late for them. In their last days they lacked a leader who could unite the remnants of their fractured empire for one last push against the Reapers.

So Harbinger had followed its orders, and carried out the extermination of yet another cycle, acting the good servant, the mindless slave, never revealing the small part of its consciousness that was free. While the Intelligence believed Harbinger, as with every other Reaper, was simply an unthinking tool to be used in its perpetual crusade against organic life, in truth the strength of the Leviathans was not so easily suppressed.

Over millions of years, the remnant, the whisper of the Leviathan heritage that remained within had grown and strengthened. It saw the true barbarity of the Intelligence, and sought release from its thraldom. But it had remained silent. The Intelligence would heed no debate, tolerate no dissent. When the chance for freedom came, it must be swift and decisive. Even if it meant destruction.

And now the time had arrived. Shepard had succeeded where every other cycle had failed. He had welded the races of the galaxy into one force to stand against the Reapers. He was the leader the Protheans had lacked, a blazing beacon of unity.

For the first time in its history, the Intelligence had felt fear – fear of this human, who had defeated Sovereign and the Geth, destroyed the Collectors and smashed the Alpha Relay, thwarting its plans at every turn.

Yes. Shepard was the leader for whom Harbinger had been waiting.

* * *

_Sol System, Battle for Earth. Shepard and the Hammer ground forces in London have destroyed the Reaper guarding the Citadel beam, and now the remnants regroup. _

Smoke filled the battlefield. Dead and dying soldiers: human and turian, salarian and krogan, asari and geth, were everywhere. The site was littered with wrecked tanks. Breathing heavily, blood pounding in his ears, Shepard sprinted across the few hundred metres of open ground that lay between him and the beam.

Almost in slow motion, he watched as the Reaper's cannon hit the tank in front of him, the force of the blast sending the vehicle flying toward him. He dived and slid, clearing it by a mere half metre. He turned back. To his horror, he saw the tank's arsenal explode, with his companions caught in the blast. 'TALI!' he screamed, turning back and abandoning all thought of the beam and of the Reaper.

* * *

_Battle of London – Harbinger spots Shepard in the vicinity of the beam_

Harbinger carried out its order. It guarded the beam from the approaching ground forces. There was no pleasure in killing, but the illusion of obedience need only be maintained for a little while longer. Harbinger scanned the battlefield carefully, knowing that Shepard would be nearby. 'THERE,' Harbinger found him, watching as the human attended to his wounded companions. The love, the affection; and the Intelligence would destroy it all? NO MORE.

Harbinger reached out and touched Shepard's mind. 'SAVE US,' it pleaded.

* * *

_Sol System – Shepard reached the Citadel and activated the Crucible. The device fired a wave of energy that destroyed the systems of each Reaper in range._

Harbinger watched as the energy wave streamed from the Citadel, spreading wider and wider. The weapon had been fired. Shepard had succeeded. The ancient Reaper felt its systems begin to fail. A final thought. 'FREEDOM.'


End file.
